Billy Thompson Interview

Born in Indianola Mississippi, E. Billy Thompson, by way of Memphis Tennessee was raised and formally educated in Boston Massachusetts. He won a four year scholarship to the New England Conservatory of Music at Boston, where he majored in musical composition, and arranging. While there he studied with such jazz greats as; Jaki Byard, Webster Lewis, Ran Blake, George Russell, and Carl Atkins, to name a few.

"I place no restrictions on myself. Life is too short for such limitations and bounderies. I have always felt the need to share who I am and what I am through the gifts that God has given me. I suppose for my own awareness of self, I have always felt the need to grow, to learn, and experience life from this world of people and cultures around me. I believe that music is a universal healing force. Traveling around as I do, I've learned that music is the common denominator for open communication in all languages and cultures. Through music, we can touch the heart, touch the soul. Make you move when you don't want to. It can calm, or raise the passions of man. Thru music we hear all of the varied expressions of life's experiences; from fantasies and illusions - to gut level emotions of ecstatic joy and happiness - to the depths of sadness and pain - from politics to love.... I love music.

Can you tell us a bit about your childhood, where you grew up and when you first started to sing?

I was born in Sunflower County Mississippi to a very strong woman, our Matriarch. Went through hard times.(We were sharecroppers) We moved to Memphis Tennessee when I was about seven years old. Still more hard times We then moved to Boston Massachusetts, where things got a little better. Boston was where I was formerly educated, and where I went on to study music at the New England Conservatory of Music.at Boston.

We were a religious family..One of my older brothers was a Preacher (Minister) in Boston. All ten of my brothers and sisters sang gospel music.so naturally my singing life began in church as a child. I didn't begin to sing secular songs publically until about 16 years of age. My mother had forbade me. Then my mother to went back to Tennessee to visit her sister for a month.When she came home, my name was plastered all over the neighborhood, advertising a local show for the next week-end. She didn't say much. Threw her hands in the air and walked away. I could see she wasn't terrible upset, so I started doing school dances, and more local and regional shows, etc.

Before that, I may have been one of the guys standing under a neighborhood corner street light, around midnight singing and harmonizing with other guys on the doo-wop tunes of the fifties, like "In the still of the night", and "Dedicated to the one I love". We were never told to shut up. I remember lying in bed sometimes hearing beautiful sounds of guys harmonizing off in the distance, maybe a couple of streets away.

Who have been your musical influences over the years?

My influences have been many. From the late fifties thru the eighties, James brown, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole, Arthur Prysock, To Marvin Gaye, Lou Rawls, Al Jarreau, Teddy Pendergrass, Luther Vandrass. There are more that could be added. And that's only the men. And then there's gospel.

Except for a short period in the late seventies, early eighties, when I first moved to Los Angeles, I've always worked. Disco had kind of sucked the life out the live shows during that time. I did some acting for awhile. Some small theatres and a couple nationally known venues in L.A. Did a few small parts (as an Extra) in several movies.

Your most recognizable recording among Soul fans is Black Eyed Girl c/w Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye, which was originally released on the Columbus label before Wand - could you tell us how this recording came about and could you give us some information about the Columbus label itself?

My first "45" recording was " Keep Laughing" and " Words Can't Explain" on Laurie Records. I was in a singing group called the " Alteers". A kid named Frankie Flowers and I wrote the lyrics to "Words Can't Explain" I think that was about 1960. (A good story for another time). Several years later I recorded "Black Eyed Girl" and Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye in about 1964, as a single astist. All of these songs were recorded at ACE Recording Studio in downtown Boston. The producer on the 1964 session, ( I think he arranged them also) was Hershel Dwellingham. It was a live session, meaning, I recorded live with seventeen musicians. The end of an era. I never knew very much about Columbus Records. I was only there a couple of times. I remember that it was a small place on Columbus Ave. in Boston. My next release was in 1986 on a Rick Kellis project called Rick Kellis "Party For Two" featuring Billy Thompson on Sedona Records out of Los Angeles. It got to number 28 on one of the Billboard charts.

I lived in Montreal Canada from 1973 'til 1976. A great fun city, and a beautiful country. I lived in Los Angeles from 1978, until 1993 when I left for Spain with a Platters Group. After a year with them, I joined a Drifters group where I toured for twelve years. Ocassionally I will still do a concert with the Drifters.

Do you have any idea how many copies of Black Eyed Girl were actually pressed on the original label?

I have no idea how many copies were pressed on Columbus Label. I was given a small box of them, which I gave to family and friends. Over the years of traveling, I've lost touch with where any of my records could be. My son felt so sorry for me that he gave me his, but it was so scratched and worn, that it was no use to me. So I'm happy now that I have the mp3's you sent. Thanks again.

Many acetate collectors (including myself) are always very interested in finding out-takes and alternate versions of known Soul classics - did you record any other takes of Black Eyed Girl or Kiss Tomorrow Good-bye at the time?

I'm sure there are out-takes somewhere. The fellow to help you there would Hershel Dwellingham. I think I found Hershel Dwellingham on the internet the other day, but I didn't have time to follow up on them,which I will do in the next few days.

It would be true to say that although your recordings are highly sought after, very little is known about you over here in the UK. To illustrate this, here is a write-up from a current CD called Northern Soul Allnighter (METRDCD510), which includes Black Eyed Girl:

BILLY THOMPSON - BLACK EYED GIRL

Yet another small label record picked up by Wand, originally on Columbus and never bootlegged. A Wand issue will go for about £125, but expect to pay £175 for a Columbus pressing. The New York production was raved about by Ian Levine when he compiled a Northern compilation album for Pye in 1974. But who is Billy Thompson?

The price estimates on the 45 seem a little low, as there is a Wand demo copy of Black Eyed Girl for sale online at the moment with an asking price of £250, but as you can see, the people behind th CD seem to have little or no information about you, so could you fill in the gaps?

Thanks for the info, Actually, I ve done quite a few gigs in England, all private functions. and never in association with Black Eyed Girl. I didn't think people in Europe would know it. All of this is great news to me! I do remember about ten years ago I was visiting in London, and I dropped off a copy of my CD package at a few of the studios. On the very day that I arrived home in Mallorca Spain, I recieved a telephone call from one of the studios, and a gentleman (I have his name and info somewhere). asked me, if I was the same Billy Thompson that sang " Black Eyed Girl"? I said yes. He introduced himself and said he liked a particular song on the tape that I had left, called, "You Got A Future With Me". He wanted to release it on a compilation with other artist. At the time I'd just been in the States trying to get a deal. In London trying to get a deal, and the thought of a compulation at that time was not very attractive to me, so I passed on it, because I wanted a to continue persuing a deal for myself.

Are there any other Billy Thompson 45s out there which collectors should look out for?

Only what is here.

What are you doing these days?

I'm doing well. These days I'm living six months in Spain, and six months in the U.S., and I love it! I work mostly in Europe. Spain, Germany, and England etc.. I suppose I travel under the radar because I do mostly private functions. Seems my live performances have always been recieved better than my recordings. Hopefully I can change that. I've written a lot of songs over the years and right now I am just about finished with a project that I've been putting together the last couple of years. This is my first full year back singing since 2005. I took a couple of years off, (doctors suggestion) because I had developed a couple of nodules on my vocal chords, . rest it, or do that laser thing. I rested my voice. Now I'm back, and I'm feeling great!

E. Billy Thompson moved to Spain in early 1993. He joined the Drifters in late 1993. He still performs with the Drifters and also as a solo artist throughout Europe.
E. Billy Thompson plans to return to the U.S. as a solo artist in his off seasons. Check him out! You'll be glad you did.
Feliciano "Butch" Tavares (TAVARES)

E. BILLY THOMPSON RESUME

Height: 6' 0" --- Weight - 205

ROAD WORK

The Drifters/Presently, Europe
Tavares
Ike and Tina Turner
Etta James
James Brown
Jackie Wilson
B.B. King
Isley Bros.
Patty LaBelle
Jaki Byard
Webster Lewis
and more!!

STUDIO RECORDINGS:

RADIO COMMERCIALS:
 
* Hi C * Tang * Radio Shack
* Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer

SINGLE RELEASES:
 
"Words Can't Explain" & "Keep Laughing" - Laurie Records
"Kiss Tomorrow Good-Bye" & "Beautiful Black-Eyed Girl" - Wand Records
"Party For Two" - Sedona Records

CONCERTS/CLUBS:

Dortmund Football Stadium - Dortmund Germany - 2005 (Location of the 2006 world cup)
Son Amar Spectacular Dinner Theatre Show in Mallorca
Spain - from 1994 - 2004 w/Drifters
Summer Festival - West Berlin Germany - ZDF Television LIVE - 2003
Drifters - Live from Son Amar on BBC-TV - England -2002
Multi-Millionaire Millenium Party 2000, 2001 - Bochum Germany - Televised Live
Many, concerts and private affairs accross Europe.
Channel 3 television Spain, 1995, 1997, 2001
Major hotel chains, Concert halls - throughout East & West Coast of U.S. and Canada.
The Apollo Theater - New York

PROD. APPEARANCES:
 
As "Snoopy" in "YOU'RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN" At the Jess Moody Theatre - Los Angeles, Ca
As "Dele" in... "OUT OF DARKNESS" At the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion - Los Angeles, Ca
As "Martin Luther King" in "King" At Theatres, Colleges and schools throughout S. California

MUSICAL EDUCATION:
 
Three years New England Conservatory of Music - Boston Massachusetts.
One year Arranging and Composition

"From the depths of his soul, E. Billy Thompson opens his heart and musically explodes - exuding life, love and beauty through his voice with such soothing intensity and depth of emotion that he cannot be ignored. He reaches out....He reaches up... He touches you, and takes you with him into his world of good vibrations, love... and beautiful music"